Machine for cutting off the tops of beets and the like.



H. A. HANS S0 N.; MACHINE FOR CUTTING OFF THE TOPsOF BEETS'AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION men MAR-13.19%.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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In wafor lfljallzzar ri ldflammzz H. A. HANSSON.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING OFF THE TOPS 0F BEETS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-13. I916.

1 1 96,858. Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

I 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

m: NDRR/s PETERS ca, Priors-Limo" WASHINGTON, n. c.

HJALMAR ARVID HANSSON, OF MALMO, SWEDEN.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING OFF THE TOPS 0F BEETS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed March 13, 1916. Serial No. 83,730.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HJALMAR ARVID HixxssoN, a citizen of Sweden, and resident of Malmo, Sweden, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Off the Tops of Beets and the like; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The invention relates to a machine for cutting off the tops and the leaf-crowns of growing beets and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple economical and effective machine in which the member sliding over the beet rows in order to regulate the height of the cutter above the ground is movably connected with the cutter.

On account of the regulating member being placed in front of the knife cutting off the tops of the beets in such a way that it passes over the leaf-crown of a beet ahead of the knife, and the distance between the beets not being as great as the sum of the height regulating member and the knife counted in the longitudinal direction of the machine, it is evident that the regulating member already strikes one beet before the next successive beet, in the rearward direction is cut through completely. Consequently, if the regulating member and the knife are rigidly connected with each other, the first mentioned beet regulates the cutting height for the second mentioned beet which is very disadvantageous and then a tall beet may be cut off in the middle if the beet ahead of it happens to be short, and vice versa. Besides, a part of the top to be cut off might be broken off instead of cut'ofl".

According to the present invention the regulating or sliding member and the cutter are entirely independent of each other at the moment of cutting, in such a way that they are movable reciprocally, but not so at the moment of regulating the cutting height. In this way only it is possible to obtain a fully satisfactory result as each beet will determine its own cutting height. This is ac complished by the mechanism hereinafter described and claimed, and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 shows a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the apparatus fastened to the frame, and a bracket 2 carrying the different parts of the apparatus is v hinged to the axle 1. Two bars 4; extending rearward are journaled at 3 in the bracket 2, these bars having their rear ends fastened to a ring shaped vertical yoke 5 of such a form that the leaf-crowns may pass through it freely. Each of the shanks of this yoke is provided with a plate 6 trailing on the ground. 7 The plates 6 are arranged in such a way that the distance between them corresponds to the breadth of the largest beet, and their edges facing each other are rounded and diverge forward, as shown in Fig. 2. On account of the yoke being journaled at 3 the plates 6 are able to follow every unevenness or irregularity of the ground and these plates are intended to adjust the apparatus in its entirety in a horizontal direction as they pass one on each side of the beet row and turn the whole apparatus around the axle 1 to one side or the other accordingv to the crookedness of the row. The yoke 5 and the bars 4 are acted upon from above by the weight of a bowshaped frame 7 which also may be exposed to a special pressure from above. The frame 7 is by means of pivots 8 connected with the bracket 2 or with arms 9 extending from the same and it is also connected with a cross bar or bow 1O fastened to a screw 11 that is freely put through a corresponding hole in the yoke 5. A spring 12 (Fig. 1) is put around the screw 11 and rests with its lower end against the yoke 5 while its upper end is acted upon by means of a washer 13 screwed on the screw 11 so that the action of the spring may be varied.

Two levers 15, 16 are journaled in the bracket 2 by means of a pin 14. One arm 15 of each lever extends backward and is bent downward and the other arm 16 is directed upward. The arms 15 reach to the ground and carry together at their ends a knife or cutter 17 that is provided with fingers 18 extending obliquely upward from its rear edge. These fingers are intended to lift the leaf-crowns and deliver them to an elevator arranged behind the knife. The arms 16 are at their free ends connected with each other by means of a rectangular frame 19 forming a guide for a cross-head 21 which is adjustable by means of a screw 20. Another lever 22, 23 is journaled on the pin '11 This lever has an arm 22 stretching upward into the frame 19, the other arm 23 being directed obliquely downward and backward. The latter arm 23 reaches the ground between the plates 6 and the knife 17 and its lower end is obliquely cut in such a way that it is parallel with the surface of the ground. The arm 22 is connected with a spring 25 by means of a rod 21 provided with an eye embracing the screw 11 and the spring 12. The spring 25 acts upon the arm 22 in such a way that the other arm 23 ispressed against the ground and the frame 19 is also acted upon by means of rods 26 and springs 27 in such a way that the knife 17 is pressed against the ground. The springs 25, 27 are fastened to the frame 7 by means of adjustable screws 28 so that their tension may be varied. The plates 5 are provided with fingers 29 directed obliquely upward and backward and the arms 15 are connected with the cross bar 10 by means of a chain 30 (Fig. 1).

If the apparatus is going to be lifted from the ground the frame 7 is moved upward as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1, this movement being accomplished either by means of a handle applied directly on the frame or by means of a suitable lever mechanism. In doing this the chain 30 will be stretched whereafter the levers 15, 16 rotate around the pin 1 1 and the knife is raised. At the movement of the levers 16 the frame 19 is acted upon in such a way that it strikes the arm 22 whereat the arm 23 is raised. The yoke 5 and the plates 6 are lifted directly by the frame 7 by means of the screw 11 which is provided with a flange, a cross pin or the lik at the end standing through the yoke. When the apparatus is working the chain 30 must remain slack so as to not 'pre vent the arms 15 from freely turning around the pin 14:. The distance between the lower end of the arm 23 and the edge of the knife 17 ought to be as short as possible in order to permit a free motion and the lower contact surface of the arm ought to be rather large so as not to be pressed into the beets by th spring pressure. On the other side it must not be so large that the leaf-crown is broken or pressed down. The shanks 5 may also be elastic in order to avoid the chance for a large beet to be crushed between the plates 6. The knife 17 is given such a breadth that it will be able to cut the top of a beet standing properly in the row even when the plates 6 have struck a beet standing out of line and thus turned the apparatus to one side or the other.

When the machine is driven over the beet row the tops together with the leaf-crowns gathered by the fingers 29 pass between the plates 6 and are touched by the lever 23 which is moved upward until the arm 22 hits the crosshead 21 (Fig. A). If the beet grows high the arms 22, 23 are turned furtherso that the arm 22 exerts a pressure upon the frame 19. This pressure turns the lever 16, 15 and raises the knife 17 to a suitable height. As soon as the arm 23 has passed the beet it is turned back against the ground by means of the spring 25 and then it is r.

cutting height of the beets may be regulated by the screw 20 and that this cutting height always is kept constant, as the lever 22, 23 is movable independent of the knife 17. The distance between the lower edge of the arm 23 and the knife 17 is regulated according to the growth of different beets and once regulated it needs not to be altered for the same kind of beets irrespective of their height in relation to the surface of the ground. When the arm 23 has passed the beet the knife 17 has already begun to cut off the top of the same, whereat the knife rests on the upper cut ofi face of the beet against the pressure of the springs 27. As soon as the knife has passed the beet it will be pressed down to the ground by the springs and it is again ready to be regulated by the arm 23, which has struck the next beet.

It is evident that several details of the p provided with a knife carried by a system of bars journaled on a horizontal pin and acted upon by springs, a lever acted upon by springs the lower end of which lever reaches down to the ground, this lever being con nected with the knife carrying system of bars for the purpose of regulating the working height of the knife when turned a certain angle in one direction, and means for making the regulating lever and the knife carrying bars independent of each other 1 when the lever is turned in the opposite direction.

2. In a machine for cutting off the tops of beets, a wheeled main body, a beet-cutting device carried by the said main body and provided with a knife carried by a system of bars journaled on a horizontal pin and acted upon by springs, these bars being combined with a frame, an adjustable crosspiece guided by said frame, a lever for regulating the cutting height provided with an arm that enters into said frame and acts upon the said crosspiece, the knife supporting arms and the regulating lever being journaled on a common pin.

3. In a machine for cutting off the tops of beets, a wheeled main body, a beet-cutting device carried by the said main body and provided with a knife carried by a system of bars journaled .on a horizontal pin and acted upon by springs, a lever for regulating the cutting height, the knife supporting bars and the lever each being connected with tension springs fastened to a frame which is pivotally connected with a bracket carrying the beet-cutting device for lifting the same from the ground.

4. In a machine for cutting off the tops of beets, a wheeled main body, a beet-cutting device carried by the said main body and provided with a knife carried by a sys- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, I

tem of bars journaled on a horizontal pin and acted upon by springs, a lever for regulating the cutting height, a pair of plates trailing on the ground and mounted in front of the knife, these plates being fastened to the lower ends of a yoke supported by bars pivoted in the bracket carrying the beet-cutting device.

5. In a machine for cutting off the tops'of beets, a wheeled main body, a beet-cutting device carried by the said main body and provided with a knife carried by a system of bars journaled on a horizontal pin and acted upon by springs, a lever for regulating the cutting height, a pair of plates trailing on the ground and fastened to a yoke, this yoke being acted upon by a spring and connected with a lifting frame by means of a screw.

6. In a machine for cutting ofl the tops of beets, a wheeled main body, a beet-cutting device carried by the said main body and provided with a knife carried by a system of bars journaled on a horizontal pin and acted upon by springs, a lever for regulating the cutting height, the knife supporting arms being connected with a lifting frame by means of a chain.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HJALMAR ARVID HANSSON.

Washington, D. 0. 

